Recent News: Maria Sharapova’s Disclosure Her plan to resign as a tennis player because of…
In 2006, Maria Sharapova, then 19 years old, defeated Justine Henin-Hardenne 6-4, 6-4 in the US Open final to win her second Grand Slam victory. She also defeated World No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo in the semifinals on her way to the championship match.
After an outstanding performance that saw her win in one hour and thirty minutes at Wimbledon in 2004, she added the Flushing Meadows championship to her collection. She trailed Henin-Hardenne 0–2 after losing her opening service game, but she responded with two breaks to win the opening set. Then, she won the second set and the match with a flawless serve that required only one service break.
Despite the intense heat in Melbourne in January 2007, at the conclusion of the Laureus qualifying year, Sharapova managed to make it to the Australian Open finals, where she lost to a revitalized Serena Williams. She had topped the standings in August 2005, therefore it was confirmed that she was the new World No. 1 despite this setback. She also won the Acura Classic, Generali Ladies, Zurich Open, and Pacific Life Open at Indian Wells in 2006.